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will practise the instructions of Socrates , and be ruined ) ; if , to prevent these consequences , you should say to me , ' O Socrates , we will now , in Bpite of What Anytus said , let you off * but upon condition that you shall no longer persevere in your search , in your philosophizing ; if you are again convicted of doing so , you shall be put to death '—If , I say , you should let me offon these conditions , I should say to you , —O Athenians ,
I love and cherish you , but I will obey the god rather than you ; and as long as I breathe , and itia not out of my power , I will not cease to philosophize , and to exhort you to philosophy , and point out the way to whomsoever among you I fall in with ; saying , as I am wont , ' O most worthy person , art thou , an Athenian , of the greatest city and the most celebrated for wisdom and power , not ashamed that thou studiest to possess as much money as possible , and reputation , and honour , but concernest not
thyself even to the smallest degree about Intellect , and Truth , and the well-being of thy mental nature V And if any of you shall dispute the fact , and say that he does concern himself about these things , I will not let . him off , or depart , but will question him , and examine , and confute him ; and if he seem to me not to possess virtue , but to assert that he does , I will reproach him for valuing least what is highest worth , and highest what is most worthless . This will I do both to young and old ,
whomsoever I meet with ; to citizen and stranger , but most to my fellowcitizens , as connected with me by a nearer tie . For these , as you well know , are the commands of the god . And to me it appears , that no good can happen to the state greater than my service of the god : for I pass my whole time doing nothing whatever but inciting you , both the young and the old , to care neither for body nor estate in preference to , nor in comparison with , the excellence of the soul ; telling you that wealth does
not produce virtue , but virtue wealth , and all other good things , to mankind , both collectively and individually . If , then , saying these things , I corrupt the youth , these things must be noxious : for if any one asserts that I say any other things than these , he speaks falsely . I say , therefore , O Athenians , whether you believe Anytus or not , whether you acquit me or not , let it be with the knowledge that I shall do no other things than these—not though I should die many deaths .
Do not clamour , O Athenians , but abide by what I requested of you , not to bawl out against what I say , but to listen to it ; and I think you wilL be the better for hearing it . I have still some other things to eay , at which you will , perhaps , cry out ; but I exhort you not to do so . Know well , O Athenians , that if you put me to death , being such as I describe myself , you will not hurt me more than you will hurt yourselves . Me Anytus and Melituswill not hurt ; they cannot . It is not permitted
that a better man should be hurt by a worse . Kill me , or exile me , or deprive me of civic rights , they may . And these , to Melitua , perhaps , and to others as well as him , may appear great evils ; but not to rae > To do what he is now doing , to attempt to kill another man unjustly , seems to me a far greater evil . Nor am I now , O Athenians * as you may
perhaps suppose , pleading for myself ,- —rfar from it , —but for you ; that you may not , by condemning me , commit a crime against the gift which the god has given to you . For if you kill me , you will not easily find another person like me , who in sober truth ( though it may sound ridiculous ) am sent by the god to this city , as to a strong and generous horse , who is somewhat sluggish from his size , and requires to be stimulated
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170 Plato ' s Dialogued ; the Apology of Socrates .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1835, page 170, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2643/page/26/
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